View full sizeInterurban Transit Partnership officials descended on the campus of Grand Valley State University to solicit ideas for a new bus rapid transit line between the school and downtown Grand Rapids.Andrew Krietz | MLive.com

ALLENDALE, MI — The first of many baby steps toward a second bus rapid transit line in Greater Grand Rapids accelerated by leaps and bounds Thursday as transportation officials solicited feedback from the community.

At one point, participants were asked to construct their own system using elements of a bus rapid transit system at varying costs.

Smacking existing branding on new vehicles would come at no cost in this example. But mobile applications that detail when the bus would arrive to a person's location using GPS would come at quite the fee.

Participants also were asked to push pins on a map to show where they live, work and hang out so officials could get a handle on where to place bus stations and better align the route, said Lynee Wells, an urban planner with Williams and Works.

"We want to also connect the GVSU community to the greater community," The Rapid spokeswoman Jennifer Kalczuk said.

The goal not only is to see how transit officials can make commuting more comfortable for riders but to build a case for the federal government in securing funding when it comes time to build the actual system, Varga said.

Officials expect work to begin six or seven years from now at a cost that has yet to be determined. However, officials broke ground this spring on a $40-million bus rapid transit Silver Line between Wyoming and Grand Rapids.

"Public feedback in this study is very valuable," he said. "You need a solid plan, and you need to make the case that you meet the purpose of what you're trying to accomplish."

Matthew Collins, a business administration and computer science sophomore at GVSU, said the existing bus line he takes to class is too crowded and slow, adding he thinks officials heard him loud and clear at the day's meeting.

"There are some flaws with it, and it could be better because it's a pain sometimes," Collins said.

Andrew Krietz covers breaking and general police/fire news for MLive | The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.